SPRINGVILLE, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Transportation has scheduled a Feb. 20 public information meeting to discuss alternatives for improving the intersection of Highway 151 and County Road X-20 in Springville.

The intersection has been the site of two dozen crashes since 2003, resulting in two fatalities.

Regular users of the interchange complain that high traffic speeds and visibility issues on the curving east-west stretch of Highway 151 make it dangerous for motorists on Springville Road/County Road X-20 to cross the highway or turn onto it.

The DOT has undertaken temporary fixes to improve safety at the intersection as it works to develop a permanent solution. The latter likely will involve a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the interchange.

In 2012, the state agency installed a flashing yellow light and a yellow sign indicating an advisory speed limit of 55 miles per hour. The DOT retained the legal speed limit of 65 miles per hour on the segment of Highway 151, and motorists seemed to be heeding the white speed sign.

The DOT also installed a pair of traffic signals at an intersection last fall. The Intersection Conflict Warning system, which cost about $50,000, was mostly funded with federal dollars.

The blinking lights are triggered by detectors installed in the pavement. They flash for about 12 seconds, which is the average time required for a vehicle to move through the intersection.

The Feb. 20 public hearing will be held 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Springville Community Center, 265 Broadway St. DOT staff will be present to discuss the proposed alternatives, but no formal presentation is planned.